The present invention refers to an apparatus for electric stimulation and diagnostics of the auditory nerves of a human being, in particular for determination of sensation level, most comfortable level and uncomfortable level curves of the auditory meatus.
In most deaf people, the transmission of electrical impulses from the internal ear to the brain is fully functional. The reason for deafness resides primarily in malfunctions of the so-called hair cell which is located within the internal ear and responsible for converting mechanical sound oscillations into electrical neural impulses. In cases of such defects, the auditory nerves can be stimulated directly by electrical impulses which are generated preferably by an implanted electronic circuitry via electrodes implanted in or near the cochlea. The surgical procedure for inserting the implant into the head is however not only stressful to the patient but also complex and thus expensive. As deafness may however also be the result of a defective transmission of electrical impulses, it is indeed conceivable that without evaluation of the functionality of the concerned auditory nerves, the implantation may turn out to be of no value.